Aiming to set up a
sustainable institution for resolving Somalia’s mine problem and to
provide direct support for mine action activities there, the United
Nations Mine Action Program for Somalia is making a difference in a
country ravaged by years of conflict.

by Jab Swart, UN MA Manager
Somalia

Introduction

Following years of devastation caused by civil war, clan
conflict and power struggles, large areas of Somalia have regained a measure
of peace and security and begun to move towards recovery. The experience of
northwest and northeast Somalia in particular has shown security and
restoration of law and order as essential to the creation of an enabling
environment for the advance towards economic and social recovery, and in
many areas, credible authorities have emerged. However, Somalia is still a
divided country, and in some instances, such as Mogadishu, even single
cities are ruled by up to four different authorities. The end of conflict in
these areas has, however, not eliminated continued threats to security. The
lack of resources to re-establish peace and security is often reflected in
continuing instability, and while basic rules of law are being established
by the emerging administrations, their actual capabilities remain limited.
Large numbers of landmines deployed during the conflicts of the past two
decades pose serious threats to people and their livestock and limit access
to valuable resources.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) strategy
for the Somalia program is based on an integrated and coordinated approach
aimed at bridging the gap between relief and development and fostering an
enabling environment for sustainable human security and development. The
UNDP country program is implemented through interventions in three broad
program areas:

Peace and security, including civil protection.

Capacity building for governance.

Economic recovery and poverty reduction.

The Somali Civil Protection Program (SCPP) aims to
consolidate and reinforce the still fragile peace and enhance economic and
social recovery, by establishing a secure enabling environment. This will be
achieved through the SCPP’s program activities in five project areas:

Social mobilization.

Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former
militia.

Small arms control.

Rule of Law.

Mine Action.

For the purpose of post-conflict recovery and
developmentćand in this case, Mine Action Somalia is divided into four
regions, namely northwest (Somaliland), northeast (Puntland), central and
south Somalia. The UNDP Mine Action Program for Somalia (UNMA) is in effect
managing four separate projects, with an additional fifth sub-project in
Mogadishu to provide for the opposing factions there.

The Mine/UXO Problem

Mines were first laid in significant numbers in 1966,
during the conflicts with Ethiopia primarily along the border (mostly as
barrier AT mine fields), and then again between 1977 and 1978. With the rise
of resistance movements and civil conflicts, in the early 1980s, these mine
fields were expanded further into Somali territory to deter incursions, and
the Somali Army laid additional mine fields throughout the territory in
places of strategic importance. When civil war broke out in 1988, the Army
heavily mined all its defensive positions and around military camps. Both
the resistance movements and the government mined roads and paths used by
one or the other, and mines were used randomly to terrorize the nomad and
rural populations. Since 1991, some additional mines (mostly in the form of
AP nuisance mine fields) have been placed in towns where localized conflicts
have erupted.

In the northwest, the most heavily mined areas were
around Zeyla, Berbera, Hargeisa and Burao. Now most of the mines in Hargeisa
and Burao have been removed. In addition to this, most of the roads between
major towns were mined, but the Hargeisa-Berbera-Burao road has now been
cleared. Most of the mine fields along the Ethiopian border are still in
place.

In northeast Somalia, mines are mostly concentrated along
the Ethiopian border and along the inter-clan conflict line running through
Galkayo. Although some defensive mine fields were also laid along the
central and south Somalia borders with Ethiopia, most of the mining took
place during the counterinsurgency wars by the Siad Barre regime from 1981
to 1991 and the subsequent clan conflicts. The regions most severely
affected were Galgadud, Hiran, Bay, Bakool and Lower Juba. Defensive mine
fields were laid around strategically important towns and military bases
(such as Belet Weyne and Huddur), while mines were used extensively for
route denial between Galkayo, Belet Weyne, Baidoa and Mogadishu. The
Rahanwein Resistance Army makes no secret of the fact that they are still
mining the road between Baidoa and Mogadishu to discourage the perceived
threat from Mogadishu. Before 1993, very little mining took place in the
Mogadishu area. Since then, mines have been used extensively in ambushes
against American forces, in strategic protection of areas such as the
airport and seaport, as well as in defensive mine fields between warring
clans. Warlords in Mogadishu are reportedly still engaging in mining in and
around Mogadishu, and they supposedly have received large consignments of
mines as recently as last year. In the south, mines were extensively used in
inter-clan fighting. Defensive mine fields were laid around Kismayo and
Bardhere, while mines were used extensively for route denial between Kismayo
and Mogadishu and from Kismayo up the Juba Valley to Luuq.

Items of UXO continue to contaminate Somalia, including
Soviet missiles, explosives and bunkers filled with a variety of bombs,
missiles and warheads in former military bases, battle areas and most urban
areas. The towns mostly affected are those where the heaviest fighting took
place, namely Berbera, Hargeisa and Burao in the northwest; Bossaso and
Galkayo in the northeast; Belet Weyne and Huddur in central Somalia; and
Mogadishu and Kismayo in the south. In addition, stockpiles of mines remain
(also in private hands), and the Somali authorities have requested
assistance in addressing this situation. Because it is not a recognized
state, Somalia cannot be a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, but
authorities such as those in northwest Somalia, northeast Somalia and the
Somalia Transitional National Government (TNG) in Mogadishu subscribe to the
requirements of the Treaty.

A major problem is that the location and extent of mined
areas are largely unknown, and therefore the magnitude of the problem to be
contained has not been accurately determined. A limited mine action
information system currently exists (in northwest Somalia), and although
some Level One and Two Surveys and Clearance have been conducted by several
international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and the UNDP, the
results of these actions are inadequate for use as a basis for future mine
action planning. On the positive side, four credible INGOs, Danish Demining
Group (DDG), The HALO Trust, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and Saint Barbara
Foundation (SBF) are involved in mine action activities in northwest Somalia
and, contingent on available funding, plan to expand to other regions.
However, Somalia still lacks an overall coherent, coordinated mine action
database and cannot yet effectively prioritize and coordinate mine action.
This is the most urgent need at present, particularly as activities increase
throughout the territory. Effective institutions to coordinate mine action
are also needed for long-term sustainability. UNDP Somalia mine action
arranged a workshop in January 2002 to formulate a strategic mine action
plan for northwest Somalia and prioritize mine action activities based on
existing information. In addition to this, UNDP mobilized resources for a
comprehensive Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) in Somalia, during 2002. This
survey will also assess and analyze the socio-economic impact of the mine/UXO
contamination on a village-to-village basis. This information, in turn, will
be utilized to update the mine action priorities in the region.

The significant negative socioeconomic impact of landmine
and UXO contamination can be seen in almost every aspect of Somali society:
reduced land available for livestock and cultivation, increased
transportation costs, obstacles to repatriation and re-integration of
communities, poor performance of rehabilitation efforts, loss of lives,
disability, psychological problems and general lack of security of
communities. In 2000, the reported mine victims were 107 in the northwest,
101 in the northeast, 147 in central Somalia and approximately 40 in
Mogadishu, of which roughly 40 percent resulted in fatalities. These figures
are by no means complete, as the reporting system is very fragmented. The
presence of mines has prevented the return of approximately 200,000 refugees
from Djibouti and Ethiopia. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) had anticipated closing these camps by 2001 but has
continually fallen short of their targets, in large part because of mine
fields—real or perceived. The mine/UXO threat is a finite problem, however,
and given sustained stability and funding, it can be solved within seven to
10 years.

Mine Action Activities

UN Capacity Building

The progress of project activities in northwest and
northeast Somalia has taken a very important step towards sustainable Somali
mine action capacities. The activities focused in the areas of strengthening
local mine action management structures and institutional capacity for mine
field survey, marking and database, mine clearance, mine awareness and
victim assistance. Close cooperation with mine clearance organizations and
improved coordination among them were successfully achieved.

The mine action component of the SCPP has been operational since 1998.
Until the end of 1999, the component was directly involved in demining
sub-contracts in Burao (northwest Somalia), and approximately 400,000 square
meters were cleared. Since December 1999, the focus shifted to capacity
building. A fully functional Somaliland Mine Action Center (SMAC) has been
established in northwest Somalia, including an external quality control
system and an

Information Management System for Mine
Action (IMSMA), with the support of an expert provided by the Swiss
government. The 22 people who make up the staff of the SMAC have been fully
trained to execute their responsibilities with very little supervision. The
training included formal training in demining, supervision and data
management. The Mine Action Advisers also undertook on-the-job training in
general, personnel, logistics and financial management. SMAC conducted
external quality management and certified 35 areas cleared in northwest
Somalia by international demining organizations, namely DDG, The HALO Trust,
Mine-Tech and SBF. As a result, almost 30 million square meters of land were
released to communities in northwest Somalia through
survey and clearance. It is expected that the SMAC will be subcontracted to
the northwest Somalia authorities in 2002. Elements of the Somaliland Police
were equipped and are currently undergoing explosive ordnance disposal (EOD)
training, which is presented by MAG.

Following consultations in northeast Somalia, the
Department of Demining, Demobilization and Reintegration was identified as
SCPP’s mine action counterpart. A core Puntland Mine Action Center (PMAC)
was established in northeast Somalia and the Somali Civil Protection Program
Mine Action Program (SCPP-MA) provided the necessary technical and
management training. The PMAC staff underwent training in technical
demining, general management and database management.

Consultations with the authorities to extend the Mine
Action program to central and south Somalia were quite successful. The TNG
is currently reviewing the draft Mine Action policy provided by SCPP-MA, and
UNDP Somalia gave the go-ahead to establish a Mogadishu Mine Action Office.
A Mine Action Office was planned and will be established in Baidoa soon.

SCPP-MA assisted the authorities in northwest Somalia and
northeast Somalia in drawing up mine action policies, which are currently
being debated in the Somaliland parliament and were already ratified in
Puntland. SMAC was assisted in formulating and distributing Standard
Operating Procedures for Mine Action in northwest Somalia. SCPP-MA advised
the authorities on the principles of the Ottawa Treaty, formulated a work
plan for northwest and northeast Somalia to implement the international ban
on AP landmines, and presented the plan at the Regional Conference on
Landmines in Djibouti. The northeast Somalia Administration has already
ratified this plan.

Two management-level staff members of the program
attended the
two-month intensive mine action managers course at Cranfield University in
the United Kingdom. The regional structures for mine action are now totally
supported by the project. An exit policy that will shift all the capacity to
local authorities is under discussion.

Mine Action is closely coordinated with other agencies
and international organizations. SCPP-MA’s establishment of coordination
mechanisms secured donor confidence and funding of $4.5 million (U.S.) in
mine clearance activities annually in northwest Somalia. This initiative has
the potential to generate more than $10 million for Mine Action in the whole
of Somalia. Mine risk education (MRE) and mine victim assistance are
coordinated through the Mine Action Centers (MACs) with SCPP-MA assistance,
but the focal points for execution in the United Nations are the United
Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World
Health Organization (WHO), respectively. Until these capabilities are fully
developed within those agencies, SCPP-MA embarks on limited assistance in
this regard. In this respect SCPP-MA recently completed a mine awareness
program in the Somali refugee camps in Djibouti, with full cooperation of
UNICEF, UNHCR, the World Food Program (WFP) and Handicap International (HI).
UNICEF has now created a focal point for MRE in northwest Somalia, as a
pilot project for the rest of Somalia, and established a working group for
MRE. An MRE strategy was presented to the northwest
Somalia authorities for approval.

Demining

DDG has been running mine clearance operations in
northwest Somalia since June 1998 and currently comprises three demining
teams of 24 deminers each, three mine detection dog teams, each with two
dogs and one expatriate dog handler, and for Survey and EOD tasks, two quick
response teams (QRTs) are deployed. DDG’s area of responsibility is the
Galbeed and western Togdheer regions of northwest Somalia, especially the
area defined by the Hargeisa-Berbera-Burao triangle, and south of this to
the Ethiopian border. DDG finished clearing mine fields in the Adadley and
Hargeisa areas and are currently working in conventional mine fields in Bali
Gubadle, Dhubato and at Hargeisa Airport. They have also been heavily
involved in EU-funded road rehabilitations projects, where they surveyed and
cleared bridges and culverts for rehabilitation. At present, DDG is clearing
the important road between Adadley and Mandhera. Northwest Somalia had a
large contamination of SA-2 and SS-21 missiles at six sites in Berbera and
Hargeisa, where DDG disposed of more than 60 of these missiles. Another
major task has been the reduction of the danger to the population from UXO.
The QRTs visited most villages in their area of responsibility several times
and collected or destroyed all known threats. They have also conducted
regular battle area clearance in areas heavily contaminated by UXO. These
areas are normally abandoned military installations. In 2002, DDG will
conduct the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) of northwest Somalia on contract
from the Survey Action Center, as Phase I of the complete Somalia survey.

SBF has been active in northwest Somalia since the autumn
of 1999, but real mine action activities only commenced in 2000. These
activities consist of survey, manual demining, discovery with detectors and
mine detection dogs, EOD activities and MRE. The police in Burao were
trained in basic EOD knowledge. In 2000, SBF cleared farmland in the Gabiley-East
district by manual demining supported by mine detection dogs. The cleared
area was 65,000 square meters, and a highly motivated team of 40 deminers
destroyed scores of mines and UXO without any accidents. In 2001, the
Foundation extended their engagement in northwest Somalia, by clearing the
mine field around the Gabiley military base and all mined areas in Burao
city. It was very challenging tasks, which SBF executed with distinction.
Employing mine detection dogs in connection with manual demining was again
very successful. The total area cleared was 105,000 square meters, and large
numbers of mines and UXO were eliminated. The number of staff deployed was
115. In 2002, SBF plans to expand its activities further into the Togdheer
region, especially towards the Ethiopian border.

The HALO Trust has now been demining in Somaliland for
over two years, carrying out humanitarian mine and UXO clearance. Around 250
local and two international staff are currently employed around the region,
but mainly on border mine fields in the northwest and battle area clearance
tasks in and around centers of population. To date a large number of AT and
AP mines have been cleared, the most common types being TM 57 and P4. In
addition to this, thousands of UXO have been cleared, types ranging from
grenades to rockets. In addition to manual demining, HALO also operates with
a mine detection dog team (for about three months a year) and an EOD/Survey
Team. Collectively, all of the above have cleared almost 25 million square
meters, contributing to the return and resettlement of thousands of refugees
from Ethiopia. In the near future, HALO will introduce mechanical mine
clearance and area reduction capabilities, with equipment currently being
prepared in the United Kingdom. Another Battle Area Clearance (BAC) Team
will be added and operations will move south and east, as current tasks are
completed and new priorities identified. The main donors supporting HALO in
northwest Somalia are the United States and the Netherlands.

Mine Action Strategy

The vision of UNDP Somalia Mine Action is to render
Somalia free from the effect of mines and UXO in seven to 10 years,
depending on stability in all the regions and sustained levels of funding.
Its mission is to establish and maintain a sustainable National Mine Action
capacity in Somalia by December 2004. In order to accomplish this goal, UNDP
Somalia Mine Action is implementing a strategy comprised of the following:

Institutional and Management Capacity.

Strengthening Management Structures and Institutional
Arrangements.

Mine Field Survey, Marking and Database.

Mine Clearance.

Mine Risk Education.

Victim Assistance.

Institutional and Management Capacity

The UN Mine Action Program for Somalia is executed by the
United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS). A Mine Action Manager (MAM)
heads the Mine Action Project. An international expert, the Mine Action
Operational Adviser (MAOA), is responsible for operational technical
assistance and directly supports the MAM. An in-kind IMSMA Adviser, provided
by the Government of Switzerland, further enhanced assistance to the
capacity building of IMSMA.

Strengthening Management Structures and Institutional Arrangements

Management structures and institutional arrangements are
strengthened in order to ensure that the mine action program is executed in
a coordinated and efficient manner in support of the
national development plan, including activities of implementing partners.
This will result in national Mine Action institutions capable of planning,
prioritizing, managing and coordinating the national Mine Action Program.
The basis of any Mine Action activity, specifically survey and
prioritization, is a sound national policy. Authorities are assisted to
properly support Mine Action policy in Somalia. An interdepartmental
commission for Mine Action is established and supported in every region to
confirm and review Mine Action policy and priorities at least every quarter.
Information, execution and Mine Action standards are coordinated from
central institutions. In this case, UNDP supports the capacity building and
technical assistance of regional MACs. The following specific actions are
undertaken:

Assisting authorities in the four major regions of
Somalia in formulating and promulgating mine action policies.

Assisting in the establishment of interdepartmental
commissions responsible for making and reviewing mine action policy and
priorities for mine action activities.

Providing advocacy for the adherence to international
mine ban treaties.

Providing basic office equipment to national Mine
Action authorities and further assistance for electricity, office and
operating expenses.

Assisting in the establishment and maintenance of MACs
in the four regions, consisting of information, operations, standards and
training and administrative cells and responsible for the coordination of
all mine action activities, including advocacy of mine ban treaties,
survey, clearance, quality management (QM), mine awareness and victim
assistance.

Establishing Regional Mines Offices in areas of high
mine/UXO threat.

Providing technical assistance, equipping, training and
operational support for the above.

Mine Field Survey, Marking and Database

The use of surveys, marking and databases is necessary to determine the
extent of the problem, plan and conduct clearance according to priority
areas, support development and humanitarian tasks and to determine exact
locations of contaminated areas and mark them. Cleared areas are certified,
and maps/databases updated. Local authorities and inhabitants are notified
of cleared areas and those that still pose a threat. No coherent Mine Action
program can be executed if it is not based on the processed data of a
comprehensive National Landmine Impact Survey (NIS), which will assist the
authorities to formulate meaningful priorities for Mine Action. Mine Action
data, if not related to socioeconomic data, is of little use in determining
Mine Action priorities. In this respect, the following objectives are
pursued:

Recruitment and training of IMSMA personnel in the MACs.

Establishment of an IMSMA database in the MACs.

Execution of a comprehensive NIS. This process is
planned and coordinated by the Survey Action Center (SAC). SAC has already
conducted an advance assessment mission for a countrywide NIS of Somalia
and the first phase, the survey of northwest Somalia, has been funded and
will commence in April 2002, conducted by DDG.

Collection and collation of data.

Compilation and distribution of data to all clients,
including other departments and humanitarian organizations.

Mine Clearance

The physical detection and destruction of mines and UXO
are carried out in accordance with national priorities and the International
Standards on Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations. The UN MA program
includes ensuring that deminers are provided the necessary training and
equipment to conduct clearance operations in an efficient and safe manner.
UNDP does not conduct clearance operations itself, but assists in the
capacity building of national mechanisms to coordinate all Mine Action
activities,
including survey and clearance by its international partners. Furthermore,
the UNDP ensures that the national authorities develop capacities to deal
with UXO and the residual mine/UXO threat after the conclusion of the
international Mine Action program. UNDP Somalia MA executes the following
additional activities:

Assisting in the establishment of sustainable EOD
capabilities in the four regions, to deal with UXO and the residual mine
threat after the international demining programs are concluded.

Encouraging survey and clearance in areas where mining
has come to an end and coordinating mechanisms have been established.

The scope, target groups and coverage of MRE in Somalia
will be expanded to cover all the mine-affected areas and populations. In
particular, mine awareness policies are established, and plans are
formulated and implemented in cooperation with UNICEF, NGOs and authorities.

Victim Assistance

Training local professionals, coordinating existing
resources and acquiring additional resources are required. In particular,
victim assistance policies are established and plans formulated and
implemented in cooperation with WHO, NGOs and authorities.

Conclusion

At the end of the project, it is expected that an
appropriate mine action strategy and policy based on thorough consultation
will be in place and the following will have been achieved:

Strengthening appropriate institutional management,
financial and
administrative mechanisms, which will allow Somalis to effectively manage,
coordinate, oversee and support all components of the mine action program in
a transparent and responsive manner.

Strengthening the process for elaborating National Mine
Action Plans, including setting priorities.

Improving a sustainable mine clearance indigenous
national capacity that is competent in technical, administrative and
policy matters and that will require reduced external technical assistance
in the future.

Released land for resettlement of displaced persons and
returning refugees and for agricultural development. Reconstruction and
rehabilitation of public infrastructure including schools, roads, bridges
and commercial and industrial enterprises will also be accelerated.

While it is not expected that Somalia will be totally
free of mines within the duration of the project, the objective is to set a
sustainable institution for resolving the mine problem in place and to
provide direct support for mine action activities. Regional administrations
have already taken important steps toward that end, and this project will
result in considerable further advances. Nonetheless, based on discussions
with administrations and experience with mine action programs in other
countries, it is expected that the local institutions involved will require
further assistance for several years beyond the end of this project,
including both technical assistance and resources for mine action
operations.